Week 4 Publishing/Leadership Project - Think Out Loud Part 1 of 2

Debating whether a written paper or presentation would better facilitate the expression of what I've learned through my action research project. I don't think that there is anything profound in what I've learned through this project. I know it's been valuable for me and the participating class enjoyed the process, but I have my doubts about the community at large.

Make Up Your Mind! by Quinn Dombrowski

If I submit a written paper, I can express my ideas in a clear, logical well thought-out manner. On the other hand, by presenting I can express much of the process and learning that cannot easily be expressed in writing.

For papers, I'm looking at TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, and the Journal of Interactive Learning Research.

For presentations, I'm looking at the Autism Society of Minnesota, the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, and the Global Conference on Technology, Innovation, Media & Education. The Global Conference on Learning and Technology and the World Conference on Educational Media, Hypermedia & Telecommunications also look like interesting options, however, their distance makes them a remote possibility.

Week 3 Wimba - Abstract & Publications

Class Out by dcJohn

Some highlights of this week's Wimba session:

Synthesize & condense everything you've done in the last year first into 120 word for the abstract (and be sure to give away the ending). And then, put it into 500-700 as to how it relates to the lit review you did to begin the process, for the summary. On the surface this seems like both a simple and daunting task - how can you express all of the important information into such small spaces. Daunting yes, but this is where our short communications in text and twitter come in handy.

For the leadership/publishing project, be sure to participate in one of the Wimba sessions or get feedback on your own. If you can't make one of the sessions you can meet with other classmates who also can't make it to get their feedback or ask others you know. Alternate presentations don't have to be done in real time as long as you get some feedback. You don't have to have the project finished when you share but the should be enough finished for others to get a clear idea of what you are going to do.

Week 3 Comments - Justin Drummond

MAC Week 2 Free Post - After EMDT

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Not that I'm looking to wish away the last month and a half of the EMDT program, but with only a few weeks left, it's time to start thinking about how I'm going to fill the time that I devoted to this endeavor over the past year.

Right now I have one plan: reading.

If you look at my blog's sidebar, you can see some of the reading challenges I've chosen to engage in this year.  I've not really applied any time to these yet, but I don't think I'm down and out yet.

I'm an English teacher, so it's no big surprise that I like reading and collect books. The ones listed above are only a few of the ones that are in my I have yet to read.  I purchase most of the books I read because part of what I love about books is owning them. I do visit the library, but I'm a slow, and sometimes distracted, reader which means that having a brief time to interact with a book from the library really limits my enjoyment.

My wife keeps asking me if I'd be interested in a Kindle, Nook or other e-reader, and I'm not really interested yet. I really enjoy the physical interaction with the text on a page that I turn, not scroll.  I don't really enjoy the fact that most of the text books in this program have been in a digital format, but I see the value.  I do think that I might be persuaded to try e-books on an iPad because if I don't like the experience, I can still use the iPad for other uses. With a dedicated e-reader, if I don't like it, then there's not much I can do with it.

So after my adventure in EMDT ends in April, you can find me with a book, either in a chair by a window or in a hammock in my back yard.

What are you looking forward to after we end our time in EMDT? And what are your thoughts on e-books versus physical books?

Week 3 Comments - Mark Coppin

Week 3 -2 DB Quickies: Difficulties starting new programs/breaking the norm

Saturday, March 19, 2011

I think that most people in education resist change because they think it will end up being more work for them and also usually brings a certain amount of accountability and responsibility. This takes them out of their comfort zone. Some of it is complacency. If it is easy and quick, they may do it. I find it kind of funny that there are some teachers that stop learning when they become a teacher. They have no desire to expand what they know. They are not inspired and do not inspire. They need to be excited to learn and to make learning fun again.Administration needs to support those forward thinkers as well as reward and acknowledge those people. They also need to let staff know that is OK to fail. If you learn from your mistakes you move forward. A quote attributed to Thomas Edison stated – “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”


Heather Indelicato

access.denied, Lego style by Jerzy Kociatkiewicz

Saturday, March 19, 2011 - 03:19 PM

I have found exactly the same thing. If changing or adding something new is quick and easy then it may get integrated into their teaching. Oftentimes, even in myself, there is a certain amount of laziness and complacency that keeps teachers from following through even when they've found something with great potential for improving student learning. Other times though, it's like a scale weighing the balance of the time and effort on the part of the teacher and students to implement something new & the quality and quantity of learning achieved through the change vs. the detriment and time available by not making the change. Whatever the reason, it denies our students the opportunity to learn and be engaged in their learning.

Week 3 Reading - The Art of Possibility

There seems to be a fear among leaders that their leadership will fade, if they allow those they lead to become great. I love the idea of gathering perspectives and approaches from those being led by asking them to lead so you can “see how it sounds” or give their ideas and suggestions, as in the “white sheet.” Figuring out how to make this work in each class is exciting, even moreso when you catch the passion of the learners through it.

(168/365) Serious by Sarah G...

The confidence and excellence I find in my students when I manage to foster this is wonderful. I begin each quarter, and remind them throughout, by telling my students that I have a class of teachers and each of them knows something even though they don’t yet have all the skills. Especially when working with my lower language skill classes, I find it would be impossible to successfully assist each student if they didn’t work together to answer questions when I’m working with another student.

In “Rule Number 6,” I’m reminded of the many times we insist children “be serious.” I think the calculating self is more than just our personality developed throughout childhood to establish a niche of acknowledgement and acceptance. I think it may be the restricted and “self-controlled” habit we’ve learned over time as we’re instructed to “behave” and “be serious.” 

Child's Play by Yi Chen

It’s when we remember that childish excitement and intrigue that we can really enjoy life in its fullness. It’s the children who are constantly imagining other realities and creating different stories and games to explain the world around them. When we are able to approach life with that same freedom, interest, and excitement there’s no telling what will happen.

Week 2 Wimba - Copyright

I like the way YouTube/Google has approached copyright law and the ease of access to give the copyright holder the choice to turn the situation to their advantage. Rather than being the "bad guys" and deterring fans from following/purchasing an artist's works, they can have the opportunity to make money and possibly increase their fan base. There is a lot of potential for artists to partner with their fans to increase their popularity. It almost makes the interest seem more legitimate to me - someone hears a song or sees a piece of art as part of someone's project and purchases it for themselves. At that point, it's no longer just about a creative/effective marketing gimmick but more likely real interest.


After this week, I have such a better idea of how copyright and especially fair use works. On the other hand, I cringe every time I hear my fellow teachers talk about materials they're using in their classes that they found in "some" book or website. And they want to stay ignorant - one teacher specifically told me not to tell her how it really works so she can stay ignorant.
I never thought about fair use hinging on it's necessity to the lesson. Thanks for making it so clear - there are many times I just thought to add media because it could help the students engage better or it added to the overall presentation of the material.

Week 2 Free Choice - Podcasts

Podcasts worth their weight:

TED Talks – http://www.ted.com/talks/browse
Short presentations by TED guests on their work, research, experience, etc. Some guests attempt to change the audiences opinions, other to teach, others to inform. Cutting edge information about what people are doing in short 10-20 minute podcasts.

CNN Student News – http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/
10 minute daily reports of the top news stories geared for middle and high school students. Without commercial breaks, the news stories are broken with questions related to upcoming stories and frequent referrals to access the full story. Resource for students to access and address current events in the classroom.

Brain Food Dude – http://brainfooddude.blogspot.com/
Highlights from the previous weeks’ podcasts are reviewed in an hour show. Helpful for busy teachers to keep up on current events and thoughts without having to access every podcast every week. Links are provided for anyone who wants to access the entire podcasts highlighted each week.

How Stuff Works – http://www.howstuffworks.com/hsw-podcast.htm
Exploring various areas to explain the workings of all kinds of stuff. Podcasts are available for technology, ethics, science, history, inventions, cars, travel, and more. They explain technical terms in everyday language that anyone can understand.